Our red washer and dryer are the only things left in the basement from before our remodel. Everything else, including the existence of a laundry room, is new.

The floor in the room slopes toward a drain (required by code because our tankless hot water heater is there). We needed a small-scale tile that could handle the dip, so I chose octagon & dot with charcoal gray grout. The exterior door opens out to the backyard, and it has been painted in Benjamin Moore paint that was color-matched to Martha Stewart’s “Sparkling Brook.” The wall color was also a Martha color (“Cumulus Cloud”), matched to B. Moore’s “Whirlpool.”

The giant utility sink is amazing. And I feel like I should say that I like the built-in soap dish on each faucet because it’s functional, but I really just picked them because they looked good. (Thanks again, Vintage Tub & Bath, for providing the plumbing fixtures.) I bought a red hook to go above the sink, and I’ll hang a striped hand towel on it. The window above the sink will get a few accessories, like this blue pitcher/vase that picks up on the color of the door.

I loved the look of the Samson stool, but had wished it was counter-height. So I got to talking with a friendly fellow over at Industry West about providing seating for the basement (they’re in!), and it turns out they’re in the process of manufacturing a taller version. They’ll be sending one over as soon as they’re available. It will sit next to a black sideboard that will serve as storage in the room. Above, I’ll hang this Droplets Screenprint, framed in black.

We already had a folding drying rack and garment hanger that we’ll probably reuse for now. They’re both pretty flimsy though, so I would like to replace them with something more sturdy in the future. As the laundry room comes together, I’ve been thinking of it as a version 1.0. As we use the room more, I think it will be easier to see what needs to be improved upon.